This invention relates generally to a pivot joint and more specifically to a pivot joint having a bearing which is circumferentially stressed in tension to apply a rotational preload force against a stud.
A known pivot joint is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,909,100. This pivot joint includes a plurality of separate bearing segments which are bonded to a rubber bushing. Each of the bearing segments forms a portion of a circle with a space between adjacent bearing segments so that they do not engage the circular outer surface of the stud throughout its circumferential extent. The preload applied to the stud by the bearing segments is the result of compressing the rubber bushing between the bearing segments and a housing. Therefore both the rotational and tilting preload forces applied to the stud are dependent upon the extent to which the resilient bushing is compressed. This impedes designing of a pivot joint having a desired rotational preload force and a desired sidewise tilting preload force since the two forces are interdependent.
Other known pivot joints are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,827,267; 1,871,918; 1,939,444; 1,954,277; 2,198,780; and 2,312,516. However, none of these patents disclose a pivot joint in which a bearing is circumferentially stressed in tension to apply a rotational preload force to a stud independently of the tilting preload force applied to the stud.